Bundle-transferring device for conveyers



Dec. 9, 1930. c, CONSTABLE 1,784,273

7 BUNDLE TRANSFERRING DEVIGE.FOR CONVEYERS Filed Nov. '11, 1929 fzwezzior (QT V0226 ZaZe veyer.

Patented Dec. 9, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT) OFFICE CHARLES E. CONSTABLE, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL MARK- ING MACHINE COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ,A CORPORATION OF OHIO BUNDLE-TRANSFERRING- nnvicn FOR coNvE Ens Application filed November 1 1, 1929. Serial No. 406,348.

My invention is particularly designed for use in commercial laundrles in which conveyers are employed to transferthe wrapped bundles of laundry articles'to a delivery the bundles from an elevated position may slide into the delivery conveyer, said fingers being so arranged that they will deliver the bundle gently and without turning it over from the elevated position to the conveyer,

-' and at the same time provide a set of fingers of this class which, when a bundle on the conveyer is being carried under the fingers, they will be elevated by said bundle to position to permit the bundle to slide under-them without disturbing the bundle or crushing the articles contained therein, and at the same time provide means whereby, when a bundle is passing under the fingers, no bundle can slide down the fingers upon the bundle on the con- In other words, it holds any bundle that happens to be upon the fingers from sliding off upon the conveyer until such bundle on the conveyer has passed beyond the fingers;

More specifically it is the object of my invention to provide a device of this class in which the fingers are normally held out of frictional contact with the top of the conveyer to avoid wear, and also to provide a series of these fingers, each of which is independently pivoted and counterbalanced, so that each finger will apply only a slight yielding pressure upon a bundle being carried by the conveyer under the fingers, to thereby I avoid the possibility of having all of the weight of the entire set of fingers applied to only one part of the bundle passing under the fingers and thereby avoid crushing the bundle or tearing the wrapper.

My invention consists in the construction,

arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a bundle transferring device mounted between an upper conveyer and a lower conveyer, the dotted lines showing the position of the tilting fingers when forced to an elevated position by a bundle passing under them upon the lower conveyer.

Figure 2 shows a top or plan view of same, a portion of the stationary chute being broken away to show the counterbalancing rods of the fingers; and

Figure 3 shows an enlarged, detail, vertical, sectional view illustrating'the lower portion of the chute, showing the support for the shaft of the tilting fingersand the means for supporting the tilting fingers and counterbalancing rods upon the pivotal support.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,- I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate a horizontally arranged belt conveyor of the construction ordinarily used in commercial laundries for carrying bundles to a delivery point. The reference numeral 11 indicates a similar conveyer in anelevated position with relation to the conveyer 10. Supportedupon a suitable frame 12 adjacent to the delivery end of the conveyerll is a sheet metal chute 13 inclined downwardly and in a direction in which-the lower cons veyer is designed to travel.

Beneath the bottom of this chute 13'adjacent to the delivery end thereof, I v have mounted a tubular shaft 14 extended transversely of the deliveryend of the chute 13. Rotatively mounted upon this shaft 1 1 is a series of rings 15 held spaced apart from each the counter alancing rods 19, and hence the fingers will normally stand by gravity in the position shown by solid lines in Figure 1. However, when a slight pressure is ap plied to the under surface of the fin ers 17, such for instance as would be applied thereto by a bundle upon the conveyer 10, the fingers 17 will readily rise because of the counterbalancing weight of the rods 19, and those of the fingers '17 which are engaged by the bundle 20, will be elevated to position shown by dotted lines in Figure 1, and the bundle may readily pass under the fingers without danger of having the wrapper torn or the articleswithin the bundle crushed by the weight of the fingers 17. a

In this connection it should be explained that by having the fingers independently pivoted, and each rovided with its own counterbalancing welght, each of the fingers that happen to be engaged by the bundle will exert only a slight pressure upon the bundle, whereas if the fingers were connected to move up and down in unison, then one finger might possibly have all of the weight of the-bundle transferring device applied by it to the bundle, which might tear the-wrapper or crush the contents of the bundle.

In practical operation, andassuming that bundles were being delivered at intervals by the conveyer 10, and other bundles delivered at intervals by the upper conveyer 11,-.and

that all of these bundles were to be delivered to a single point of delivery at the terminus of the conveyer 10, the'nobviously if the bundle upon the conveyer 11 were discharged into the chute 13, it would slide down'said chute and be delivered .upon the tilting fingers 17, and by them guided gentlyv and without danger of being turned over upon the conveyer 10.

Assuming, however, that at the same time a bundle 20 were approaching the fingers upon the lower conveyer, then this bundle would cause the fingers 17 to tilt upwardly out of the way of the bundle-20, and this: would cause the bundle fromthe upper con veyer to be retained upon the fingers 17 untilzi" the bundle=20 passedbeyond "the range of the fingers17, whereupon the fingers would then drop by gravity to position adjacent. to the lower'conveyer and permit the .bundle': retained by'the fingers to slide offv upon the out possibility'ofhaving lower conveyer wit one bundle placed on top of another.-

Mydevice can obviously be readil'yiused" 1 for purposes other than the delivery of laundry bundles, and bundles may be delivered into the inclined chute 13 by means other than a conveyer.

I claim as my invention: I

1. The combination with a conveyer of a bundle transferring device comprising a series of fingers pivotall supported above the conveyer and inclined downwardly and in the dimction: of travel of the conveyer andhaving their'lowerends curved'upwardly, a

counterbalancing weight for each finger so arrangedthat the fingers normally stand in )osition adi'acentto the conveyer, said fingers eing so s laped and arranged that when moved toan elevated position they will retain a bundle thereon.

,2, The combination with a conveyer of a r bundle transferring device comprising a series of fingers independently pivotedandextended downwardly and in. the direction of travel of the conveyer, and m'eansapplied to each finger for 'counterbalancing its weight so that a slight pressure upon the fingers in the direction of travel of the conveyer will elevate its free end.

8. The combination with a conveyer of a bundle transferring device comprising a series of fingers independently pivoted and er;- tended; downwardly and in the direction of travelof'the conveyer, means applied toeach finger for counterbalancing its weight sothat aslight pressure upon the fingers in, the direction of travel of the conveyer will elevate its free end, and means for limiting the downward movement of the fingers so they will not frictionallyengage the conveyer.

4. The combination with a conveyer of a bundle transferring device comprising a frame, an inclined chute supported by the frame, a-shaft mounted beneath the delivery end of the chute, a series of rings mounted upon the shaft, a transferring finger connected to each ring and extended downward ly and in the direction of travel'of the conveyer and having its lower end curved} upwardly, and a counterbalancing rod fixed to each ring and so positioned that when they engage the under surface of the chute, the lower ends of the corresponding fingerswill be heldfspacedabove the conveyer; v

' 5. The vcombination with a'conveyer, of a bundle transferring device comprising a bundle supporting member inclined downwardly-and'inthe direction-in which: the conveyer-is designed to travel, said member beingl-pivotally supportedat its upper end and designedto receive bundles to; slide by gravity over said member upon, the lower conveyer, said partsbeing so arranged-that'thebundleonthellower conveyer will, engage said memberand move it upwardly to position to permitthebundle to pass under. 1

Des Moines lowa, October-19, 1929.;

' CHARLES 1E. CONSTABLE. 

